College of the Corna

Bards of the College of the Corna reject the notion that music must be harmonious to possess beauty or power. They find their magic in distortion, crushing rhythm, impossible volume, and the moment when carefully controlled tension finally breaks.

Known for performances built upon blistering riffs, blast beats, harsh vocals, and sudden drops in tempo, these bards don't merely perform during battle—they headline it. Their screams carry supernatural force, their rhythm moves friend and foe alike, and their command of tempo allows them to dictate when the next blow falls.

For a Bard of the Corna, every battlefield is a stage, every combatant part of the crowd, and every battle another set waiting for its final breakdown.

Level 3: Setlist

Level 3

Your repertoire contains signature magical techniques passed between performers, stolen from rival acts, or developed through years of pushing your performance beyond what mortal ears were meant to endure. These spells are collectively known as your Setlist.

When you reach a Bard level specified in the College of the Corna Setlist table, you thereafter always have the listed spell prepared. These spells count as Bard spells for you, and they don't count against the number of Bard spells you have prepared.

College of the Corna Setlist

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Level 3: Set the Tempo

Level 3

You know the opening beat determines everything that follows. When battle begins, you can change the tempo before the first note has even landed.

When Initiative is rolled, you can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose yourself or one creature you can see within 60 feet. Roll your Bardic Inspiration die and add or subtract the number rolled from the chosen creature's Initiative.

If the creature is unwilling, it can make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a successful save, its Initiative is unchanged.

You use this feature after Initiative is rolled but before the first turn of combat begins. Sometimes you need to come in early… Sometimes you need to wait for the drop.

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Level 3: Harsh Vocals

Level 3

Your voice has become an instrument capable of carrying magic with immense force.

When you cast a Bard spell with a Verbal component that deals damage, you can Scream the spell. When you do, you can change one of the spell's damage types to Thunder damage.

Once on each of your turns when a creature takes Thunder damage from a spell you Screamed, you can push that creature up to 5 feet away from you.

Your Scream can take whatever form suits your performance, including a shriek, growl, roar, guttural, or magically amplified vocal. Whether accompanied by an instrument or performed a cappella you've learned that sometimes the voice itself is heavy enough.

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Level 6: The Guttural

Level 6

Your Harsh Vocals have developed enough force that the lowest notes of your performance can physically overwhelm those unfortunate enough to be standing in front of you. Once on each of your turns when a creature fails a saving throw against a spell you Screamed, you can unleash the Guttural and choose one of the following effects: 

Crushing Low- 

The sheer weight of the sound buckles the creature beneath it. The creature has the Prone condition.

Bellow-

You push the creature up to 15 feet away from you. If you use Bellow, it replaces any movement caused by your Harsh Vocals against that creature rather than adding to it.

There are countless techniques among performers of the Corna: gutturals, tunnel throats, false chords, fry screams, and noises whose proper classification remains the subject of surprisingly violent academic debate.

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Level 6: Wall of Death

Level 6

As a Bonus Action, expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration and choose a point you can see within 60 feet. A 10-foot Emanation around that point becomes the Pit until the end of the current turn.

Choose a number of willing creatures who can hear you equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). These creatures become the Crowd. Each member of the Crowd can immediately move up to half its Speed toward the Pit. This movement doesn't provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Once this movement ends, each hostile creature in the Pit must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC: 

• On a failed save, a creature takes Thunder damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die and has the Prone condition.
• On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage only.

The resulting collision can be heard up to 300 feet away. A sensible performer might ask everyone involved to be mindful of one another. A Bard of the Corna simply does not.

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Level 14: The Breakdown

Level 14

At the start of a round, before any creature takes its turn, you can unleash a mind-shattering breakdown.

Each hostile creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC:

• On a failed save, a creature takes 4d10 Thunder damage and has the Prone condition.
• On a successful save, it takes half as much damage only.

You then establish a New Tempo (rearrange the Initiative order of every creature in the combat however you choose). The New Tempo takes effect immediately and remains for the rest of the combat.

Changing the Initiative order can't cause a creature to gain an additional turn or lose a turn during the round in which you use this feature. Once you Drop the Breakdown, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

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